I about froze my rear off Friday night but thanks to Jo Grahn letting me borrow a pair of gloves I survived the cold night. I saw some nice edge-on galaxies when the car lights weren't shining my way. M51 and M101 really looked good Friday night. I think maybe next time I'll try the runaway bride way and put a dark towel over my head. Saturday night I got delayed shopping and looking at Pronghorn antelope but managed to set up in time for the tourists. This time I was battling clouds and stray white light but managed to see Jupiter, M83, M80, M19, M12, M5, M57, M4, the Leo Triplet, and the Virgo Cluster. I battled white lights and clouds all evening and had to find holes in the clouds. When the lights and clouds went away I was lucky to bag Abell 35 (very faint) and Abell 39. Abell 39 was faint in both Lowell's 20" and my 15" Obsession. When things dewed up, I packed it in and feasted on Filet Mignon. Hope everyone got home safely. I liked the employee parking lot better than the trailer lot but I don't control these things. Debbie

From: diveboss@xmission.com Date: 2005/06/04 Sat PM 03:18:58 MDT To: utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Bryce Canyon Star Party report June 1-2, 2005

This is the first of what may be many Bryce Canyon reports to come in...

HEADLINE: If you're going to Bryce Canyon, don't forget winter clothes and the Turtle Wax!

This was my second trip to 'Bryce Canyon', and on both trips, I got blinded by stars and cars on the first night, and, I got my truck washed on the second. Although on this trip, the wash job was due to the melting snow...

Is this is a great club or what??? I have learned a lot at these events, for instance, I learned to never look through Jo and Allen Grahns 24" light bucket without dark glasses. I learned if your going to project the overly bright image of Jupiter on someones bald head for a group viewing, make sure everyone standing in the circle is wearing dark glasses so they don't fall into your scope when they lose their balance, and please, make sure that the head you choose to view on, is clear of age spots otherwise it may mask the actual red spot on the Planets surface.

I learned you should never get caught out in the open in Bryce Canyon, at night, without sun block when the clouds lift. I mean, given today's times, we're just not use to that amount of natural light hitting our skin all at once during night time hours.

Finally, I've learned to never again attend another public star party without taking steps that will provide the right amount of protection from the unconscious general public, who insist on pulling into the 'Star Party' area with their headlights ablaze, and, particularly those who like to use their high beam to see if they can spot their friends.

I have devised a plan to deal with this and unlike my plan "A", Plan "B" is a non-violent approach that will turn all that annoying white light, red.

Plan "B": Locate and purchase, a cheap pair of flip up dark glasses and a cheap pair of simple reading glasses from Rite Aid. Immediately knock the lenses out of both of them leaving the frames of the reading glasses intact, but, empty. The reading glass frames are only used to hold the special anti 'white light' device.

Next, locate some dark red cellophane wrap, like the stuff they wrap popcorn balls with during the holidays, and fashion yourself 2 red cellophane lenses out of the wrap. Becareful not to distort the view through these lenses as you may need to operate with them in place for a while. Next attach these red lenses to the flip up frames.

Wear these special glasses at all times during public star parties. In practice you simply flip them down to protect your eyes from the white light until the offending source has been dealt with or extinguished. By doing this, you may reduce the time it takes to reacquiring that highly tuned night vision.

In summing this up, I don't mind being blinded by white light during a star party, but if I'm going to lose my sight, I would rather it be from either the light of the Milky Way, or, maybe that little blue pill... ;)

Guy

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